This invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for forming an optical fiber connector and is more particularly concerned with such a method and apparatus which simply and accurately form optical fiber connectors which are highly efficient and convenient to use in a normal operating environment, whether in the field or in the laboratory.
A recent development in the communication systems involves the use of optical fibers for very high bandwith communication channels. The use of such optical fibers which carry light energy distributed over a small area, has led to a need for a coupler which can conveniently and efficiently couple a pair of optical fibers to each other. The difficulty in accomplishing this end is directly attributable to the cross-sectional dimensions of the optical fibers. The dimensions for the light carrying portion of the optical fiber commonly are on the order of 50 micrometers.
The coupling of optical fibers involves generally precise mechanical control of the alignment of the optical fibers to achieve low coupling losses. Furthermore, for such optical communication systems to be of general utility, the couplers associated therewith must be such as to be adaptable to use in the field. Therefore, the couplers must be rugged, yet simple in construction so as to provide physical protection for the actual optical fibers, yet allow for quick and convenient operation of the coupling function.
Such a coupler and connector are disclosed and claimed in a separate patent application entitled "Optical Fiber Connector and Coupler" by Dakss et al., which is filed concurrently with the instant application, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,880, and which has a common assignee. The optical fiber connector has external surfaces which are accurately finished and mate with other such surfaces in the coupler body to enable completed optical fiber couplers to establish highly efficient optical coupling between associated pairs of optical fibers. In one form of the optical fiber coupler, grooves are used to support and align pairs of connectors. In another optical fiber coupler, a machined hole enables a pair of optical fiber connectors to be accurately aligned in an abutting relationship.